Technology#

Pounce & Pandemonium shall be a hard sci-fi setting – whatever that means. Eventually, it’s you that define the setting at your table. But the rules, of course, have a certain flair. There is nothing provided for Psionics, Theurgy of modern religions, space magic.

Technology is all-present. And it’s grounded. That means, technology shall play a role in everday’s life. Technology might even be strange, like alien artifacts. Nothing speaks against introducing different species in your setting or even leaving out humans at all. Still, every technology shall be imaginable as a continuous development of current-day devices. Better, faster, more efficient, smaller, more durable, better marketing, …

One exception completes this rule: Space travel. We cannot be to strict on that. Folding space, cryogenic suspension, jump gates, hyperspace, infinite propulsion – these are some elements you encounter in sci-fi culture. All of them seem a bit like magic. But they are essential to a space operaic setting that Pounce & Pandemonium tries to be.

“The Songs of Distant Earth” by Arthur C. Clarke provides an example why physically reasonable space travel breaks the story.¹ Don’t get me wrong. It is a great novel but not suitable as a basis for this game. Physics knows a phenomenon called time dilation. It implies very different time frames for people in rest, aka on planets or space stations and thos travelling at large velocities. So the travellers would stay forever young in the eyes of the “residents”. It’s an interesting premise and some sci-fi RPGs even included this. Feel free to incorporate it in your world.

Also physics limits movement to the speed of light. Given the distances in our galaxy, just do the math to calculate travel times.

Explicit permission: Don’t be afraid to break physical laws here. Do what works at your table.

Robots & Androids#

Anorganic lifeforms. You cannot unthink them once you have seen Bishop in Alien. Feel free to introduce them to your setting. In the same way as aliens they will have no special rules. A basic robotic entity is (in stats) equivalent to any human or alien. Differences are narrative.

It is possible that robots collect more body enhancements than provided by their playbook. Consider that playbooks are merely a proposal of you skill your character and how you plan to evolve them. The next section collects all special abilites reguarding body enhancements – independent of their original playbooks. Feel free to choose from them.

Body Enhancements#

Some people might like to enhance their body or have henchman and women with enhanced bodies. The technology in your setting might allow different types of enhancements - or ban them. You can think of cyberware or the closely related prosthetics – and the stigmata that adhere to them. You can think of genetic manipulation – and the moral discussions following from that. You can think about tissue grown outside your body and then being implanted – and the disgust it might evoke in certain people.

While you have your advantage, someone might differ in moral questions. Churches might demonize them. Someone might simply value the material higher than your life.

Some playbooks have special abilites listed that clearly are body enhancements. These are suggestions, feel free to use the veteran ability to buy special abilites of other playbooks or simply choose from the subsequent list. Always make sure if your choices fit into the common sense of your group.

Special Abilities#

Spy Eye: You have a device installed that can record your vision and might give you additional information on visual clues.

This might be a cybernetic eye replacement or just something bolted to your skull. You could have an AR overlay, Zoom included or infrared vision.

Flesh Pocket: You have a compartment inside you to transport small goods.

Your internal pocket might hold something up to the size of a pistol. Opening and closing can be, however, a painful experience.

Drone Control: You own one or more drones and can control them without particularly focussing on it.

Everyone can buy drones and use them but you use them as an extension of yourself – be it by using cybernetic implants or a sophisticated control system.

Self-Optimization: Choose a cybernetic limb or similar addition to your body. When its features apply you get an additional +1d.

This ability allows you to tweak your physical traits in particular. Think of cyberarms or -legs, intelligent exosceletons, artificial adrenalin pumps, … You might also think of side effects or how society views these extensions of the body.

Living Weapon: Your body is a deadly weapon and has edges (choose two): concealed - longreach - grappling - ranged - pulverizing - terrifying.

How did you end up this way?